Dad's diary:
week three
diary - week one
diary - week two
diary - week four
My first full week at work, although I have some hours left of my paternity leave so can work a few short days. On Monday we are busy with a system upgrade so I work a full day. The rest of the week I work between 5 and a half and six hours a day, which makes me think how great it would be if I only had to work, say, 6 hours a day five days a week. It would give a focus to life and give you all the positive things about 'work' without out becoming too a drudge: but you could still be home by mid afternoon each day. But that is beside the point.
Most days we are still having visitors. Ann and Karen with their children were new visitors on wednesday afternoon. Karen's child Edyth, and Ann's youngest, Matt, are both 5 or 6 months old. It was amazing how much bigger than were than Joseph, and made me realise how me must enjoy these weeks when Joseph is a little tiny baby, and he will soon grow.
Joe is gradually becoming more awake now when he is awake. Aside from singing to him - variations of Ten Green Bottles.. (Ten Pink Joseph's) and the Pink Panther theme tune are the current favourites - we have one or two games, such as 'Shaking the Winnie the Pooh toy in front of Joseph's Eyes'. It's not chess but keeps him happy for the odd minute or so.
Gradually getting the hang of his bath time. I love doing it, but sometimes we are more successful than others. The key to success I suspect is in the preparation: get everything ready so you limit the times when the Little Chap is uncomfortable and cold, and then do everything smoothly and confidently. I started by using his plastic bath, but have now started using the bathroom sink, which I think is easier. Once he is sat in the water he loves it, but if I am clumsy he notices and that seems to makes him nervous.
Generally I think I'm having it easy still. Joseph still sleeps a lot, doesn't seem to cry too much, and all the night time stuff is generally taken care of by Deborah. The worst night for me is Friday the 27th August, and that is because I lie in bed for hours after he Joe's crying wakes me about 1.30a.m.
Deborah reads the Gina Ford book over and over and we've started talking about 'routines' and such like. We need to have some routines started by the time Deborah returns to work in November. Nearly everyone I've spoken to in the last few months whose had children (and there seems to be a breeding frenzy at the moment) talks about how important it is to get into a routine. At some point we will have go through the process of leaving Joe to cry away unheeded, until he learns to fall asleep. Joy.
* This is being written on Tuesday 31st August